Sexy Studs

Edgy new leathers at Laudi Vidni

We?ve always loved this Chicago company?s super-high-end take on DIY: Laudi Vidni, through both its website and at its Armitage Avenue shop, lets handbag lovers choose their own styles, fine leathers, hardware and colors to custom-create that elusive design you could spend years shopping for.

Now the brand has struck gold with its new Moto collection ($275 to $650), which has a studded, rock ?n? roll-inspired look that?s achieved with a special embossing technique applied to the Italian leather. Though it only comes in black so far, Moto has become Laudi Vidni?s best seller since its recent launch. (The Moto iPad case is selling especially briskly.)

Also catching our eye at Laudi Vidni: A new LED light installation by artist and scientist Jessica Cobb of Emmett Cobb LLC, a firm that seeks to reinvent how shoppers interact with the space. In the front window, part of the installation changes color as people walk by on the street, and inside the shop, white LED lights hidden under the shelves follow customers? moves as they explore.